Paul Revere Facts

Portrait of Paul Revere

Open/Close Menu

Introduction

A section on American War Hero facts would not be complete without a page on Paul Revere; who is most famous for his midnight horseback ride in 1775 warning the American patriots that the British were going to raid Concord Massachusetts. On this page you will find lists of facts that serve as a short biography of Revere's life. This information, written for kids and adults, includes why Paul Revere is so famous, how he knew the British were planning a raid, and where his ride took place.

Facts about Paul Revere's Early Years

He was born in Massachusetts in 1735. He was one of twelve children born to his father, who was a French immigrant, and his mother who was a Boston native.

His father wanted him to become a silversmith like he was, but to do so Revere needed to be able to read and write. So, his family enrolled him in one of the best
public schools in Boston called North writing School where the focus was on reading and writing.

When Paul Revere was nineteen, and the eldest surviving son, he was left in charge of caring for his family and the family business when his father died.

Paul Revere had made a name for himself as a skilled artisan by the 1760s. He sold his work, particularly his tea sets and his silverware, to upper class citizens
and other artisans.

Paul Revere Basic Facts

In addition to working as a silversmith, he used his skill in working with his hands to become an amateur dentist. He even identified the body of a friend
who was killed in the Revolutionary War from the wire that was on a false tooth in his mouth. He recognized the wire and knew he had done this work on his friend,
Joseph Warren.

Paul Revere had eight children with his first wife, Sarah Orne and another eight children with his second wife Rachel Walker.

When it became clear that the British were becoming more and more of a threat to the colonists, Paul Revere took action by joining the Freemasons.

After the Stamp Act of 1765 was passed, Paul Revere joined The Sons of Liberty in protest of the hardship the additional taxes the Stamp Act put on the colonists.
He worked closely with its leaders, Samuel Adams and John Hancock.

When the British sent over tea that was taxed by the English from the East India Company into Boston Harbor, Paul Revere and the rest of the Sons of Liberty
protested. They raided the ships dressed as Indians and threw the tea overboard. This became know as the Boston Tea Party and it resulted in retaliation by the
British and the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

Paul Revere Midnight Ride Facts

Paul Revere's famous midnight ride took place on April 18, 1775. This ride was made famous by a poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Revere was not the only rider warning of the British raid. He was joined by William Dawes and Samuel Prescott.

After spying on the British for some time as a courier for the Boston Committee of Correspondence and the Massachusetts Committee of Safety, Revere was instructed to
warn the leaders of the Sons of Liberty that the British were on their way.

Paul Revere's midnight ride took him through Charlestown, MA to Lexington, MA. He discreetly went from door to door through the countryside warning as many people
as
possible along the way before finally arriving in Lexington around midnight to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams.

The warning system of "one if by land, two if by sea" had been put in place the previous week. Two lanterns were hung in the Old North Church in Boston to indicate that the British were coming by sea rather than marching on land.